Views from the Choir Loft

New Release • Contemporary Motets for SAB

Cynthia Ostrowski · September 14, 2016 ·

EVIN ALLEN today released a fantastic choral collection choirs everywhere will welcome. Click here to download a sample page. If your choir has more females than males, this collection will thrill you—because all the pieces are written for SAB!

This 42-page collection contains:

1. QUAM DILECTA |+ Psalm verses
2. JUSTORUM ANIMAE |+ Psalm verses
3. ERIPE ME |+ Psalm verses
4. SI AMBULAVERO |+ Psalm verses
5. MEMENTO VERBI |+ Psalm verses
6. AUFER A ME + Psalm verses

Depending on how the psalm verses are sung—a decision left to each choirmaster—these pieces can be as long or short as necessary to match the liturgical action.

Save money with this Lulu Coupon—but notice the expiration date.

| * * MATRI DIVINAE GRATIAE • Purchase a single copy (42 pages)

The back of the book contains instructions on how to purchase multiple copies at a special rate of $12.00 per book. Single copies are $35.95, but much less when you use the coupon.

This example gives you a taste:

REHEARSAL VIDEOS :

EQUAL VOICES : YouTube • Mp3 Audio

SOPRANO : YouTube • Audio

ALTO : YouTube • Audio

BASS : YouTube • Audio

THIS COLLECTION was commissioned by CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED and published in September of 2016. In accordance with our customs, all proceeds which exceed production costs (printing, shipping, and so forth) go directly to the Catholic artist, who maintains copyright. Therefore, when you purchase these books, you are directly supporting Roman Catholic artists who produce works for the Church. We are a 100% volunteer organization.

Complete Title: Matri Divinae Gratiae, Opus Mariae Dedicatum

About Cynthia Ostrowski

Cynthia Ostrowski holds a bachelor's degree in Geographic Information Science and a minor in Computer Science from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi (2005). She is currently a stay-at-home mother of two children. A former GIS analyst, Cynthia's interests include photography, french horn, and singing polyphony.

Could Pope St. Pius X Sing?

“On 12 March 1908, the complete publication of the Roman Gradual was issued by the Vatican Press. On that very day, Dom Pothier solemnly presented the first copy to the Holy Father. A witness of the audience says that Pius X wished to be the first to see the new book; he opened it at random, at page 128 of the supplement pro aliquibus locis—it was the Introit of the new Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The Pope sang it with perfect taste to the last note.” (Catholic Choirmaster, February 1915)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Julius Bas Accompaniment

A very prolific harmonizer of Gregorian chant in the early 20th century was Mr. Julius Bas. He often uses a very strange technique, wherein he employs rests to eliminate the Alto, Tenor, and Bass voices. Consider what he did with “Lumen ad revelationem” here:

* JPEG • Lumen ad revelationem

It seems quite lazy, and I’ve never seen anyone else use such a technique, although Dr. Peter Wagner often switched to parallel octaves when he ran out of ideas… (Yuck!)

—Jeff Ostrowski

Hitting wrong notes

Fr. Valentine Young, OFM, used to say: “The organist can play 1,000 correct notes and one wrong note—and the only thing people will care about is the wrong note.” Last Sunday I hit some wrong notes, and felt bad. Then I remembered a story about Rudolf Serkin and started to chuckle. Charles Rosen (or was it Leon Fleisher?) told the story of Serkin playing a Beethoven Sonata in front of a large audience. The theme is all in octaves; but Serkin hit some wrong notes, and played parallel 7ths instead. This so unnerved him that every time the theme returned, he played the entire thing in parallel 7ths! We must remember that even the greatest hit wrong notes. Alfred Cortot, Vladimir Horowitz, Wilhelm Backhaus, Edwin Fischer, Sviatoslav Richter, Egon Petri—they all hit wrong notes, which we can hear on recordings. (Josef Hofmann was an exception, but he was super-human so he doesn’t count!)

—Jeff Ostrowski